


A bond that can never be broken

by Jamilton_and_Lams



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Anxiety, Auguste (Captive Prince) Lives, Auguste buys Laurent gifts when he travels, Auguste is honestly the best big brother, Implied Suicide Attempt, M/M, Nicaise (Captive Prince) Lives, Nicaise is their adoptive brother, References to Canon, Refrences to past CSA in regards to the Regent, Teddy Bear AU, he does his best, modern day AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:22:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23874649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jamilton_and_Lams/pseuds/Jamilton_and_Lams
Summary: Auguste knew he wasn't the best big brother around. Because he wasn't. Around.When his uncle offers to take in Laurent after their parents die Auguste accepts. He has access to his part of the DeVerre Fortune.He can travel. He can go to college. He can settle where ever he wants.But he never forgets his brother or his uncles adopted son Nicaise. He sends them gifts when ever he visits a new city. He sends presents for holidays and birthdays.He knows them. He knows them like the back of his hand.(Until he realises he doesn't. Not at all. Not by a long shot)
Relationships: Ancel/Berenger (Captive Prince), Auguste & Damen (Captive Prince), Auguste & Laurent & Nicaise (Captive Prince), Auguste & Laurent (Captive Prince), Auguste & Nicaise (Captive Prince), Auguste/Nikandros (Captive Prince), Damen & Nikandros (Captive Prince), Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince), Laurent & Nicaise (Captive Prince)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 90





	A bond that can never be broken

Auguste knew he wasn't the best big brother around. 

Growing up he had tried. He had cared for Laurent when he wouldn’t listen to anyone else and when their parents worked late they use to sit and watch Laurents favourite movies and sneak chocolate from the kitchen. (He’d then carry Laurent to bed when he inevitably crashed from the sugar.) But then the car crash happened. 

Auguste didn’t remember much from it, he had been told it was a miracle he had come away unscath. Laurent had been picked up from his summer camp by Torveld and the move to their uncles was seamless. One night they were eating chocolate and quoting movies and the next they were in a new home surrounded by boxes.

The only thing that didn’t change after their parents died and they were sent to live with their uncle, was his love for Laurent. He loved his brother, more than anything. That's what had prompted him to start off the whole Teddy bear shenanigans. 

School. College. Work. Life.

He was the older brother. He was meant to look after Laurent. 

He had a plan- as soon as he turned 21 he was going to be able to access his portion of the will, the money his parents had left them, and buy an apartment for them.

But his uncle had sat him down that one cold night as he looked over college acceptance forms. "Don't sacrifice your life for Laurent. Think of yourself for once Auguste. Go to college. Fall in love. Travel. I will take care of Laurent as if he were my own." 

(Their uncle had fostered a boy before caring for them. Adoption fell through a week before his parents died - he remembers them speaking in hushed tones in regards to their uncle right up until- Auguste could never remember his name, and only seen the boy once in passing at the trial. Arson and juvie and the chance of adoption gone. He remembered the boy had left the court smiling slightly, red hair falling across his shoulders.)

(His uncle had used the word troubled and had left to talk to him afterwards. He had been gone most of the day)

He was hesitant. Laurent had never lived by himself. But as his uncle had continued and told him of his future plans to adopt,( _ “A little brother for Laurent” _ ) and he made up his mind.

Everything would be alright. 

That night he had talked to Laurent. (Looking back he would still say it was one of the hardest conversations of his life. Not the worst - no that would come later - but it was up there) 

He brought with him a teddy bear. A small blue bear with a star on its stomach. He showed Laurent the matching star - a tattoo on his wrist, and promised he'd always be there for him even if he was halfway across the county.

He left the following week.

The teddy bear shenanigans were as follows: For each town or city he visited he would pick out a teddy bear for Laurent. For each birthday and holiday he would scour the shops to find the perfect gift. Christmas and Halloween. Tokyo and Rome. London and New York. The summer spent in Greece. The winter spent on the beaches of Australia. He never failed to find the perfect choice. They were carefully wrapped and boxed and sent back to their Uncles.

And life was amazing.

******

Laurent supposed life could be worse. 

He had good grades.

College was enjoyable.

There was at least 5 people he could bare to converse with. (An improvement from before when he could only stand Nicaise.) 

{He  _ still  _ hadn't told Auguste and it was only because Berenger had helped but he knew it would all come out sooner rather than later-}

The newest book in a series he was reading had just been released.

_ (They could be still trapped in that hellhole  _ - _ ) _

Nicaise was… well Nicaise was Nicaise.

But Nicaise was  _ safe _ .

And another bear had come.

He had woken up to a parcel at the foot of his bed with a familiar scrawl on a white card, and the smell of Ancel's cooking wafting through the house. 

Auguste had sent another present. (He knew by now not to accidentally drop the box because last time the box had contained  _ (Real? Fake? Who knew with Auguste)  _ sapphire earnings for Nicaise and one had cracked and he hadn't heard the end of it for months.

He lifted the box gently up onto his bed before peeling back the opening. On top sat a jewelry box which he sat aside for Nicaise. Underneath- he smiled. A snake. A white cobra. He twisted it around his hands for a moment before turning and placing it between the bars on his headboard. It's head sat perfectly between Blue and Felix (a red and gold lion Auguste had sent for his tenth birthday. It had quickly become his crutch during -) and he sat and enjoyed the silence.

A cobra. Auguste must have returned from China then.

Until the smoke alarm was set off and Nicaise's shrieks about beauty sleep (and lack thereof) echoed through the house. 

He smiled softly. 

**********

Auguste wasn't having the best day. 

For starters the storm from the night before had knocked out the power, so his alarm hadn't gone off. 

Because his alarm hadn't gone off, he was currently late for work. 

The one 'positive' was having a human disaster for a room-mate. 

Damen.

Damen; who as Auguste was running around their apartment looking for his shoes, comes barging in through their front door. 

Completely drunk.

And alone.

Or not… 

Nikandros followed Damen in and the pair of them barley caught him as he collapsed in the doorway.

(Okay so maybe Damen wasn't always a 'positive' per-ce but he had been through a terrible ordeal in the last 4 months and they were trying their hardest to help but….

Well finding the girl you were going to propose to in bed with your brother can't be the best thing for ones mental health…)

But Nikandros was a bonus.

He felt a little bad for more or less stealing Damen’s best friend but in his defense Damen had been in a relationship and they had been brushed to the side in favour of  _ Jo.  _

"Under Damen's bed." Nikandros muttered as he pressed a kiss to Auguste's temple.

Auguste stared at him blankly for a second wondering what he was talking about before Nik lightly stepped on his foot. 

Right. Work. Shoes. 

How the  _ hell _ his work shoes had ended up there?

In 5 minutes he was out the door; leaving his boyfriend and his best friend behind and wondering what had pushed Damen off the edge again considering his well he had been doing lately.

*****

The kitchen was on fire again.

Well the oven was.

"Berenger! Ancel set the oven on fire again!" Nicaise yelled as he dodged the spatula Ancel aimed at his head. 

Laurent smiled to himself as he sidestepped his friend and tried to save the bacon. It was too late. It was chard. The bread was also burnt black. He managed to salvage the eggs but only barely.

Berenger made his way into the kitchen and didn't blink at the sight of Nicaise threatening Ancel with a fork and made his way to the fridge. "Whose in the mood for pancakes?"

"As long as you keep Ancel the fire hazard out of the kitchen" piped Nicaise. The statement was followed by a screech and Laurent had the privilege of watching his 23 year old friend throw himself over the kitchen table in an attempt to get at a 15 year old smirking Nicaise.

"What was in the parcel Laurent?" Berenger asked as he mixed the milk and eggs into the flour. (He was still ignoring Ancel and Niciase which was a feat in on itself..) 

Before Laurent could answer Berenger called out "duck" and after 9 months of living with them  _ (and from before) _ his reflexes were as good as they were. He ducked and an egg hit the window in which he was standing in front of.

"A snake" he answered with a small grin as he stood up. 

"Nice - what about the kid? What did he get?"

Laurent glanced across the room in time to see Nicaise dive behind the sofa as Ancel aimed another egg at him. 

"Not sure. I haven't had a chance to give him the gift yet. But I presume more jewelry, you know what he's like." 

Berenger smiled softly. "Aye. I do." 

Laurent followed his line of sight to find him watching Ancel - red hair flying behind him face lit up with childish glee as he chased Nicaise- and…

Laurent nudged his friend. "So…" he lowered his voice, "when are you going to ask him?"

A light blush made its way across Berenger’s cheeks as he turned away to busy himself with the pancakes.

(Laurent didn't miss the way his hand brushed against the pocket of his jeans.)

*******

Nikandros texted him around lunch time. He had to read the text twice, then three times for the contents to sink in.

And when they did Auguste was just glad he had an office to himself.

"That fucker!" He yelled as he threw his phone into the couch in his office. 

Kastor. Of course it was Kastor. 

But he couldn't take all the credit. Oh no that  _ bitch _ had half the blame too.

It was a newspaper article. 

**Who's the daddy?**

_ As we know Kastor (son of  _ _ Theomedes the  _ _ owner of Aklios entertainment) and his fiancée Jo (ex-girlfriend of Kastors younger brother Damanios) got engaged 3 months ago, but did you know - the date has been set? Jo was spotted at a local bridal boutique and a source who wishes to remain anonymous revealed that Jo is pregnant - but how many months pregnant? _

_ And then the only other question now is - is it Damens? Or Kastors?  _

_ This reporter is as curious as you! But for now - only Jo knows… _

That bitch. 

He did the maths in his head and depending on how far along she was… either she was cheating on damen for a lot longer than they thought or…

It was times like this Auguste was thankful his boss had been in his friend group in college. 

Jord’s call came in less than 30 seconds after he finished the article. 

"Auguste- Nik sent me the article-"

"Jord I wouldn't ask but-"

"Jesus Auguste, get the fuck back to the apartment, I'll stop by later. I can dump anything you were going to do on Gorvort or something."

Auguste grinned. "Talk later mate." 

"Bye Aug."

******

The present ended up being a charm. It was a cat and as Laurent watched Nicaise add it to his bracelet the light shines through and… yup that was a diamond in the place of the eye. 

He couldn't help but wonder what had prompted the latest batch of gifts. His birthday wasn't for another month and Nicaise had celebrated his last month. It wasn't Christmas, nor an anniversary…

(Maybe he felt guilty about not being there to raise him -them- himself…)

More likely than not he had just seen the gifts and thought they would like them. Because  _ that  _ was Auguste. The brother who would pay anything to see his brothers happy.

_ (That was why he couldn't know. It would destroy him and Laurent couldn't do that to him… not after everything….) _

Ancel and Berenger were talking in the sitting room when Nicaise came to talk to him. 

He looked like a mix of sad and angry and  _ scared _ and Laurent wondered why until he read the note he held out. 

Oh.

"You didn't tell him. Laurent, why didn't you tell him? He's going to hate us isn't he isn’t that why you didn't tell him?!"

The note must have been in the box addressed to Nicaise.

_ Dearest Nicaise and Laurent, _

_ This is just a note to ask if everything has been alright lately? I normally send an email every few months to uncle Reginald but he hasn't replied lately. I know you two are doing well from Nicaise's online presence and Laurent, I've read one of your essays that got published last week - it was available down here as well! Congrats on that again!  _

_ So is uncle ill or is he working himself too hard again? Tell him to take a break and enjoy himself once in a while! It’s always work with him. Work work work and no leasure. HA! _

_ Unless… has he found someone? I hope he has. He sacrificed so much to care for us and he deserves to be happy.  _

_ Well this is getting long! _

_ Anyway, pass on to uncle that I'm coming down sometime soon to see the new house!  _

_ Love you and miss you both loads _

_ Auguste. _

_ (PS. Nicaise if you've grown any taller I'm suing) _

Laurent stared at the page before he dropped it and fled to the bathroom just in time to empty his stomach.

(He tried to remove the sight of Niciase with tears lining his eyes- a sight he hasn't seen since the trial…)

*******

Auguste unlocked the door of the apartment to see Nikandros sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

He slipped off his coat and shoes before curling up beside him and resting his head on his shoulder. 

"Where is he?"

He didn't bother asking 'how' for  _ that _ was a stupid question.

"In bed. Asleep" Nikandros's voice was hoarse. He turned towards Auguste and buried his head against his chest. "He  _ cried _ Auguste… I haven't seen him cry since his mother died. They…. They destroyed him…. The two of them… and I hate them so much for it." 

Auguste closed his eyes. "I know. I know Nicky… it's going to be okay. I promise."

He closed his eyes as he threaded his fingers through Nikandros's hair.

They both fell into a fitful sleep.

*******

Berenger stared down Laurent and for one of the first times he felt the age gap between them. Laurent aged 20 going on 21, Berenger just gone 30.

"You have to tell him Laurent"

"I know"

"Laurent I'm serious, if this goes badly-"

"It won't"

Berenger frowned again and reaches out to clasp his shoulder "But if it does… you will always have myself and Ancel- you and Nic both. You two are family to me"

"Berenger , you have never  _ met _ Auguste. It will be fine. He'll understand." Laurent bit his lip. "He has to understand"

He ignored the pitying look Berenger sent him and pulled out his phone. The lock screen - a photo of him, Auguste and Nicaise at the zoo from his birthday last year- stared back at him. 

"He has to"

*******

The days passed and the paparazzi hounded Kastor and Jo. The photos showed the baby bump and it was obvious to everyone that Jo was a lot more than 3 months pregnant. 

Days turned to weeks and soon Laurents birthday was around the corner.

And Damen was only getting worse. 

His friend was spiraling. He watched as Damen drank and woke as he came home at early hours. He would return from work to find Damen still asleep. He saw as he emerged from his room to swallow a mouthful of dinner only to leave with barley a goodbye.

So he made up his mind.

"Damen?" 

He heard the answering groan from his friends room and took in his appearance as he opened the door wiping sleep from his eyes. "Yes Auguste? What is it?"

"I have an idea that requires your help…"

He knew he would have to be careful about this. Make it seem like Damen would be doing  _ him _ a favour and not the other way round. 

He grinned at Damen as his friend groaned. "This isn't another one of your 'definitely legal' ideas that will land us in jail is it? I don't think Nik will appreciate us calling him at 2am for bail."

Auguste frowned. "No… that was an oversight on my behalf anyway and I've already apologised… no this has to do with my brother's birthday!"

Damens eyebrow rose. "And…"

Auguste let out a laugh. "Well I found this massive bear costume…"

He watched as Damen's face brightened a bit and hoped that this excursion would help.

He finished laying out his plan. 

And for the first time since the news broke he saw Damen smile. "I'm in."

Auguste grinned.

*********

Laurent was reading when Nicaise barged into his room. 

"You haven't told him yet have you?" 

Laurent closed his eyes and wished for peace and quiet before he opened them to look at his spitfire of a brother. "No Nicaise I haven't." He shifted and moved Rue (a fox he had received when Auguste had moved to Brooklyn when Laurent was 16) so he wouldn't squash her. 

He went back to his book when Nicaise didn't say anything else. 

Then he moved.

Laurent saw his target a moment too late.

"What the fuck Nicaise - put him down!" 

He held Blue by an ear and had a fork pressed against the star on its stomach. 

Nicaise only pressed the weapon against the toys stomach and Laurent saw red.

Blue had been the last gift he had ever received from Auguste before he left. 

Auguste had the matching tattoo.

The toy meant so much to him, he didn't care if Nicaise wouldn't follow through with the threat, it was the fact that he made it in the first place.

He sprang off his bed and slipped a finger under the scarf around Nicaise's neck. 

"Drop it" he hissed.

And Nicaise did. (He ignored the look of utter betrayal he received in return. The scarf that Nicaise wore 24/7 to hide the injury they both pretended wasn't there.) It was his own fault. He should know better to threaten Laurent's things. Especially gifts from Auguste. Especially Blue.

Nicaise fled the room and Laurent tried to return to his book ignoring the coil of guilt in his stomach.

_ (There had been so much blood and he had thought he was too late. That after everything  _ **_this_ ** _ was how it ended.)  _

He closed his book again and left to find Niciase.

*****

Auguste and Damen sat in the front seats of Auguste's car. 

Every so often he glanced into the mirror and saw the bear costume lying on the back seat and smiled. 

Damen was asleep (which was probably a good thing as he was sober for the first time in almost 2 weeks and that hangover was going to be hell) and so the music was on low, some new musical based on greek myths or capitalism - Damen hadn't exactly explained before passing out. 

(But it was good. Nicaise and Laurent would enjoy it. He would fly them out to New York around Christmas)

Nikandros had suggested driving through the couple of states rather than fly - less chance of Damen getting his hands on alcohol. Looking at his sleeping roommate he was inclined to agree with his boyfriend.

And so Damen slept. 

And Auguste hummed along to a song about going after a loved one.

_ I'm coming wait for me… _

******

Nicaise was still sulking. 

Not that Laurent blamed him - he had almost crossed that invisible line drawn in the sand  _ (A thin line. Near faded but stark white against his usual tanned skin.)  _

And so Laurent played the role of protector again. He sought his brother's forgiveness with an array of expensive chocolates and a pendant with a small blue bird, wings spread wide mid flight,  _ (free to escape whenever it wanted. Never bound to earth always having an escape.) _

Then they watched Nicaise's collection of favourite movies. (The princess bride at the top of the list. Not that he'd ever admit it but his brother knew it word for word).

Ancel ordered pizza and Berenger made homemade ice cream.

And peace settled over their home.

Until  _ that _ phone rang. 

Four pairs of eyes darted to the locked box on top of the shelf and Laurent stood.

*****

Auguste presumed he should have rang Laurent before he had left LA with Damen. 3 hours outside of their expected arrival to his family's new address he decided to ring his uncle. 

He was showing up after nearly a year without talking to him and after months of only face timing and calling his brothers he missed them.

Pulling over at a rest stop to let Damen grab some drinks he pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit his uncles contact number

***** 

The phone rings. 

Ancel who was mid joke, cuts himself off and Laurent and Nicaise freeze.

Nobody moves.

***** 

Auguste frowns. 

Normally his uncle was glued to his phone. 

He hit redial.

*****

Again it rings. 

That familiar tune of someone calling his uncle's phone. 

_ Why? Why now? _

The ringing stops and a text alert goes off. Berenger approaches the box.

Nicaise bolts and Laurent follows him before the lid has been removed.

********

Damen walks back towards the car and Auguste sends off a quick text to let his uncle know he was coming down as a surprise to Laurent. 

Damen slides into the car arms full. "Apparently there's a B&B close to the house. His birthdays tomorrow right?" 

Auguste relaxes. "Yeah. I want to get down there early to spend as much time with the two of them as possible." Auguste watches as Damen taps along to the beat of the song playing over the speakers. "I think Laurent will like you. You guys are quite similar I think." 

Damen rolls his eyes. "If he's anything like you I'll pass. I've had enough of crazy blonds" 

Auguste stuck out his tongue at his friend and started up the engine.

*******

Laurent went to bed with a pit in his stomach. 

Why was Auguste trying to contact their uncle? 

It had been a year give or take… and it was  _ his _ birthday tomorrow, if Auguste had been calling anyone he should have been calling him.

He leaned over and traced the star shape on Blues belly. Then he slipped his sketchbook out and copied the design. 

He would get that tattoo tomorrow, the match to Auguste’s. 

******

It took embarrassingly long to get the costume on and he regretted buying it almost immediately.

And of course Damen was no help. At all. 

They were still in the bedroom of the B&B an hour after Auguste had planned to leave (his uncle hadn’t returned his call; maybe he could surprise them all) because Damen couldn’t stop laughing long enough to zip up the back of the costume

“Damen, if you rip this costume or ruin this in any way i’ll never forgive you.”

Damen raised an eyebrow at him in challenge and Auguste turned away to try to fix the zip himself with the use of the mirror. “I wonder how much you’d enjoy the wedding if i got Nik to agree to add you to the ‘do not serve’ list at the bar…”

Needless to say they were ready to leave in 10 minutes. 

(And if Auguste felt bad about threatening his friend with alcohol… well that was a matter for another day.)

***********

He leaves the tattoo artists with a wrist wrapped up.  _ (he tries not to remember a similar time when both his wrists had been wrapped up and he had woken to _ -)

The star matches the one his brother has though. It's a tie between them that can ever be broken. _ (Even if what Nicaise said is true. Even if, _ **_when_ ** _ , it all comes out and he hates them… it will be something to remind him that once upon a time they were happy…) _

He pulls out his phone as he walks and puts in his headphones. He hums along to the music as he walks back home.

He doesn’t notice the car that is tailing him.

**************

Nicaise isn’t scared. 

He’s not.

He might be a  _ little _ bit worried about Auguste's reaction but he’s not really scared. 

Anyway it's not like Auguste is his brother. Not like Laurent. 

Him and Laurent may share the same pains and the same traumas but Auguste was safe.

Auguste was too old.

Nicaise isn’t scared of him (or more specifically his reactions… he’s not) but he is angry.

Oh he is very angry.

If Auguste had stayed to protect Laurent, Laurent wouldn’t have tried… and he wouldn’t have… ( _ there was so much blood. He still remembers the blood.. _ )

But then again if Auguste had taken Laurent and kept him safe… what would have befallen  _ him _ ? Without Laurent there to protect him… His hand flies up to his neck. To the thin razor sharp mark…  _ (He remembers the shock. The hissing voice in his ear. The pain…) _

Okay so maybe he’s a little thankful Auguste had left.

Maybe he enjoys the gifts Auguste sends and the hugs he receives. 

( _ They aren’t like  _ **_his_ ** _ hugs; hugs that would last to long, bodies pressed against each other, Nicaise trapped in a corner with a hand over his mouth and a foot pushing his legs apart- _ )

And Auguste’s smile. He likes that smile. He looks like Laurent when he smiles. (He is also thankful that apparently they both inherited their mothers smile. That when they smile they didn’t look like  _ him _ .)

Okay so maybe he’s a little scared. 

He doesn’t want to lose the small family he has found, be it with Laurent and Auguste or Ancel and Berenger. 

He likes them. (Not that he’d ever admit it aloud. Not if someone offered him a gorgeous sapphire necklace with matching earrings or a silver ring. Not even then.)

The phone rings. He glances warily at the box on top of the corner of the shelf and closes his eyes.

He hears Laurent return and hears who ever gave him a lift pull away from their home

The ringing follows him into a restless slumber.

************

It's his birthday and Auguste still hasn’t called.

He’s in his room (not sulking) flicking through Auguste's old collection of movies. 

Fight club.

Ferris bueller.

Breakfast club.

Goonies.

Beetlejuice. 

He flops back on his bed, wincing as his arm comes down too hard sending vibrations down his wrist. He needs a distraction. 

He wants Auguste. 

But what if Nicaise was right? What if Auguste blamed them, or worse blamed  _ him _ for not protecting Nicaise? 

What if Auguste hated him?

Oh god… What if Auguste hated him?

Suddenly it's all he can think about. Auguste’s disgusted face as he glares at him, Auguste as he turns away from Laurent and leaves him. Leaves him alone. 

Leaves him and… 

_ (Uncles hands. Hands in his hair. Hands on his thighs…) _

_ (The hot breath on the back of his neck. The bruises on his arms.) _

_ (Muffled cries from Nicaise’s bedroom. His bedroom door being locked and having to resort to texting Nicaise) _

_ (Learning how to pick a lock, because never again…) _

He can’t breath - god - he can’t - he can’t... 

He dimly hears a car pull up the drive. 

He grabs a pair of noise cancelling headphones and starts up one of the playlists Auguste had made for him. He tries to shove the panic down and lose himself in his music. He is suddenly glad Auguste didn’t call. He could always read him so well but now… 

He chokes back a sob and grabs Blue. 

He knows the truth will have to come out sooner or later. 

_ But what if Auguste blames him.  _

Auguste would hate him. Auguste who had no eye for deception. Auguste who was good and honest and who had always believed in the best in people.

Auguste who had promised once upon a time to keep him safe. (And suddenly he wants to hate him. Wants to hate Auguste with every fiber of his being because he  _ lies  _ because he  _ left _ because….. 

Because the Laurent he made that promise to is dead. And the only person he can blame is himself.

*************

The house is smaller than he expected. With the deVerre fortune his uncle should have a larger house, (but then again they had moved out of the mansion so maybe smaller is what he had wanted.)

He grins as he makes his way up the driveway (he hardly notices his uncles car isn’t there. It was his prize possession, why wasn’t it-) and has to get Damen to ring the bell. Damen then shoves the mask onto his face and falls to the side of the house trying to stop his laughter. 

The door opens. 

****

Nicaise starts awake at the sound of the door bell. He hears Ancel swear as he drops something and from where he is sitting watches as Berenger motions him towards the door with a smile.

Then he hears the door open. 

“What the fuck?” he hears Ancel explain at whatever is on the other side of the door. 

He closes his eyes again. Maybe he can convince Laurent to watch a movie later. Maybe -

“Oh I'm sorry is this not the residence of Reggie deVerre?”

Nicaise freezes and his mind goes blank. 

He knows that voice. He knows that voice. But if he’s here then he’ll know somethings wrong. He‘ll find out. He’ll….

***********

Auguste stares at the stranger in front of him. What the hell? He thought this was the address. He turns to glare at Damen (which doesn’t work quite as well considering the mask) but Damen gets the message and helps pull the mask off. Then he turns back to the stranger.

The stranger who now looks furious. There's another man behind him now. “What's going on Ancel? Why don’t you invite the young man in?”

“They are looking for  _ Reginald _ ” Ancel hisses. 

The man's face hardens. “I don’t know who you are but this is the only warning I'm giving you. Leave now. Before I call the police.” 

Ancel makes a move as if to jump at Auguste but the older man puts his hand on his shoulder. “Leave.” Then he spots Damen. “Both of you.” 

“But-” Auguste is confused. What the hell was going on? “But Laurent-”

“Don’t even speak his name you bastard. If you are involved with Reginald don't even think of-”

“Ancel” A board voice appears at the bottom of the stairs. “Use your eyes for once you stupid asshole”

******

“Nicaise!” Auguste beams at him. “Thank god! What’s going on? Where’s uncle? Who are these-”

Nicaise tries to repress a shudder. “Please stop talking Auguste”

“Auguste?!” Ancel screeches. Nicaise holds up the fork in his hand threateningly and points it at him. 

“Shut up Ancel.”

Nicaise looks at Augustes confused expression and Ancels shock and decides the next person to ask a stupid question was going to get stabbed. (he really hopes it’s Ancel. He’s been wanting to get a stab at him since the egg fiasco.)

“So which ones Laurent?” Nicaise then see’s Augustes friend.

The leg would have to do. 

“Why don’t you both come in?” He feigned politeness and smiles as he sees both Ancel and Berenger look on in surprise as he steps aside to let them into the house.

*********************

Auguste is confused. 

Nicaise is here which means he definitely has the right house but…

Who were the two men Laurent and Nicaise were staying with?

Where was his uncle?

And why did the two men have such a negative reaction? It was obvious they both cared about his brothers but….

_ “I don’t know who you are but this is the only warning I'm giving you. Leave now. Before I call the police.” _

_ If you are involved with Reginald don't even think of-” _

A bad feeling starts to take form in his stomach. What had happened? Had he hurt them? Oh god he’d never forgive himself if his uncle had been raising a hand to his brothers behind closed doors.

“Where is Laurent?” He needed to talk to his brother. He reached back to try to pull down the zip but Damen stepped up first. 

“I have it Aug. it's okay.” he felt the zip moving down his neck and when Damen stepped away-

“What the fuck!” He spun and nearly fell over his costume. 

Nicaise was standing a few steps away from Damen with a smug expression holding a fork and Damen… Damen was bleeding.

“Nicaise what have we said about stabbing people? It won’t solve all your problems!” One of the men cried out. 

“Actually Berenger-” 

“Nicaise this isn’t like that at all, you don’t even know his name!”

Auguste was getting whiplash. Did Nicaise often go around stabbing people?

“Do you guys have a bathroom?” Auguste jumped. Right. Damen. Stabbed.

“Upstairs, first door on the left.” Ancel piped.

As Damen left the room Auguste finished taking off the costume before turning to face Berenger and Ancel. Nicaise had disappeared. 

Berenger ran a hand through his hair and frowned. “You should come into the sitting room, it seems as though we have a lot to talk about.”

******

Damen makes his way up the stairs silently cursing Auguste’s youngest brother.

He’s a little hellion and Damen regrets agreeing to accompany Auguste on this cross country quest to surprise his brother for his birthday. 

Laurent.  _ Laurent.  _ What kind of prestigious name is  _ Laurent. _

Then again he suposes - as he sways on the spot - Auguste is a pretty fucking prestigious name aswell.

His leg isn’t bleeding too bad as far as he can make out. He was wearing jeans and Nicaise can’t be more than 15 so it can’t have been that strong of a jab. Like it hurt, (it hurt  _ alot _ ) but there isn’t that much blood. He lifts his leg higher and attempts to adjust his shirt, which is currently wrapped around his thigh and - he loses his balance.

“Fuck!” He falls through the door opposite the bathroom and hits his head on the ground.

Through his closed eyes he can see white spots and prays he doesn’t have a concussion.

It's only then he hears the muffled gasps coming from the room.

He opens his eyes and is met with a midnight blue ceiling and very nice lampshade. He turns his head to the left and finds a bookshelf stuffed and overflowing with books of different heights and lengths. Then to the right is… oh.

To the right is a wardrobe. It mirrored doors. And reflected in those doors is…

Exactly his type. 

He can hear Nikandros’s voice in his head already telling him off and guiding his away, reminding him why blondes were a bad idea (the hypocrite.)

But then he sees Jo. and Kastor. And remembers the… the  _ baby _ and… he is done waiting for  _ that  _ nightmare to end. 

It's time to wake up.

As he tentatively stands to introduce himself he leaves the baggage on the floor.

He smiles at the blonde ( _ Laurent _ ) and receives a response of half horror ( _ fear? _ ) and half bemusement. It's only then he realsies the room is spinning.

Then he falls straight on to the bed in a dead faint.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this project for over a year so it's time enough to post the first chapter.
> 
> (I don't know how long it will take to finish but hopefully sooner rather than later due to Quarantine!)


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